CNMI mayor critical of Endangered Species List

A mayor in the Northern Marianas wants changes to the way the list for endangered species is compiled.

Last October, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed 23 species of plants and animals in the Northern Marianas and Guam as either threatened or endangered.

The Tinian monarch is endemic to Northern Mariana Islands, and found only on the island of Tinian. Photo: Devon Pike

But the mayor of the Northern Islands, Jerome Aldan, said some species being added to the list do not need to be on it, while critically threatened ones could be taken off.

"We have folks also that need space, we are human beings, we need areas. By including additional endangered species that are not really native to our islands is kinda like a set-back for us as well. But on another case they're trying to take the one that's really indigenous out from the endangered species."

Mr Aldan said there were moves to take the Tinian Monarch, a rare bird, off the list, because the US wants to use Tinian for military training.